Reid Won’t Settle in Second Dirtbag Summer

There’s a natural tendency to take a pause, exhale, and admire the work done when an accomplishment is achieved. After all of the labor, sweat, and sometimes blood and tears that go into arriving at a major milestone or having a grand project finished, a break is deserved to appreciate where one is now compared to where they once were.

Just don’t tell that to Regan Reid.

Heading into his second summer with the Dirtbags, Reid, a junior shortstop at T L Hanna High School in Anderson, S.C., is determined to make the most of his final go with the organization. That means embracing every game, playing with maximum effort, and doing whatever it takes to lead the Dirtbags to victory, even though he has already issued a verbal commitment to Clemson.

“I always tell myself I haven’t made it, even though I am committed, Reid said. “I take it as I just have my foot in the door, so I still have every shot and opportunity to still impress everybody as much as I can.”

On the subject of impressions, Reid made an immediate one in the fall of 2016, which opened the door for him to be a Dirtbag.

Participating in Impact Baseball’s end-of-fall college coaches camp, Reid’s athletic ability and mental makeup stood out in the eyes of Dirtbags General Manager Trey Daly, providing an opportunity for the slick-fielding middle infielder to join the nationally-renowned organization. The first impressions were mutual, the interaction with Daly was Reid’s first experience with the Dirtbags, and as the GM liked what he saw in the player, soon the player would appreciation what Daly and the Dirtbags stand for.

“The first time I came in contact with the Dirtbags was at [Impact’s camps] in Myrtle Beach. I didn’t even know who the Dirtbags were, but I got to meet Trey Daly, he said I could play with them.”

In Reid, Daly saw a player “who coaches love to coach,” where “effort is never a question”.” With good actions and range up the middle, Reid is capable of sticking in the heart of the diamond in the toughest of college baseball conferences. Instantly Daly knew Reid could make an impact at the southeast’s major programs and went to bat for him.

“I was really impressed with Trey,” Reid said. “I knew Trey for maybe two weeks at the most, I had never played a game with the Dirtbags and he already got me in contact with Clemson, Carolina, Coastal, a lot of the in-state schools…he had never really seen me play a game, but he just believed in me, step forth and got the contacts.”

After believing the Dirtbags could help him grow as a player, Reid’s first summer with the organization came as a member of Ryan Falcon’s 16u team. Although a newcomer, Reid quickly became one of the guys, finding himself embraced with open arms.

“On Coach Falcon’s team, we were the top team, but nobody was selfish or stubborn,” Reid said. “I came into open arms. They weren’t jealous of anything, if you got a good hit they were the first to tell you good job. I came in hitting three and four-hole, playing shortstop and nobody was mad about it, they were just out there ready to win, they didn’t care who were playing.”

In the fall, Reid joined the 17u All-Black team as they participated in the World Wood Bat Association World Championship in Jupiter, Fla. A year after winning the toughest travel baseball tournament in the world, the Dirtbags were unable to defend their crown, leaving Florida with only one victory. With that experience, Reid, who Daly says represents everything the Dirtbags name stands for, is ready to take on his second summer with the Dirtbags and make sure he can add to the program’s storied legacy.

“[Before last year] I never played showcased, I just played local legion ball,” Reid said. “Last year was kind of surreal, when we walked into the tournaments and everybody kind of turns their head because they know the wild uniforms are the Dirtbags coming in.

“I’m looking forward to getting back with the team I started with because we all believe we’re really good, they played for a really long time together and I’m really comfortable with them now, I feel like we’re going to gel well and be able to play well.”

That doesn’t sound like a player easing into his final summer, that’s Regan Reid, a player wanting to continue to get better and achieve more.